Hanging by a Moment
by Flit Flutterby
Summary: A Bad Morning for Dr. Wilson lands him in a dire situation, clinging to life. It's a HouseWilson friendship fiction and a WilsonCuddy romance fic later on also implied CameronHouse. COMPLEAT now.
1. Bad Day

Yay my first House MD fiction. It'll be a House/Wilson friendship pairing with that will also be a Wilson/Cuddy fic. Because I think the two of them would be so cute together.

Its seven am Friday morning when James Wilson's alarm goes off. He rolls out of bed and turns to see his wife roll over back to sleep. No good morning, nothing. He turns back and sighs when he hears his wife stir again. "James," she mumbles, he turns to her hoping for some sign of affection from her. But he knew better, she hasn't even touched him in nearly a month, "Don't forget to pick of food for _your _dog. I'm getting tired of hearing him whine." Wilson nodded.

"Yes Julie," he replied. He gets up and goes through his normal daily routine of getting read to go to work. As he gets into his car he checks his wallet to find he had no cash. He curses silently to himself, as he pulls up at the bank, he knew it was going to be a bad day. He drive up to the ATM to find it's not working, "Damn," the cursed out load as he checks his watch. _Well _he thought _I'm already late I might as well just go in._ He fumbles around with the pen filling out the withdraw slip and trying hard to remember his account number. He finally gets in line when his beeper goes off, it was Cuddy, and he calls her back on his cell.

"Hello, Dr. Cuddy's office,"

"Hi Cuddy, its Wilson, what's up?"

"I, was just wondering where you were, It's not like you to be late." She sounded a bit worried. Wilson always liked that she seemed to look out for him. He looked at his watch again and saw that a half an hour had passed while he was waiting in line making him an hour late.

"Yeah, I'm sorry; I'm at the bank I've got to get some cash to buy dog food. He'll only eat the stuff from the breeder's place, and he doesn't take anything but cash. Julie won't have anything to do with the dog so I've got to pick it up too." Cuddy caught his sigh.

"Don't worry about it thing are slow down here anyway. I was just wondering if anything was up."

"Yeah listen, I shouldn't be too much longer…" the he hesitated and saw out of the corner of his eye a guy looking really nervous and sweating profusely. Wilson's first though was that the man was ill but then he saw him pull out a gun. "Cuddy… Cuddy, Lisa…" he screamed into the phone, but she had already hung up.

"Everyone get down," the man screamed, a young girl who was two people behind Wilson screamed and the gun went off. No one was expecting that to happen, even the criminal looked shocked at what he had done. Everyone just stood there and looked at the girl who had been shot; she couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen years old. "Oh God," the man screamed, "See, See, you all have to listen to me get down now, now you," he pointed the gun at the teller, "all the money into this bag." While the man was collecting the money Wilson scooted himself closer to the girl and felt for a pulse. He found one. It was week but she was still alive. He started taking off the girl's shirt to get a look at the wound when the criminal turned around. "Hey you, what are you doing? Get away from her." the crook yelled.

"Sir, I'm a doctor, this girl is still alive," he said while standing up with his hands out to show he was unarmed. "Please if you let me help her, she will live. You're the boss here, but you can't let her die."

"That's right I'm the boss and I said get down," the crook yelled back him.

"Please, just let me help her. I know you didn't mean to shoot her, so please you don't want her death on your conscience. At least let me call 911 for her."

"And have every cop in the city come after me, No Way." Wilson looked and saw that one of the tellers had tripped the silent alarm.

"Please," the teller pleaded with the man, "the police are already coming, just let the doctor take her out so she can get help." The crook got furious. Wilson winced; he knew that teller should not have told the crook that at cops were coming. The crook then turned towards Wilson who was reaching for his pager that was going off again and fired two shots.

Meanwhile back at the hospital, House went up to Wilson's office to talk to him. "Wilson's going to be late he got stuck at the bank," House turned around.

"Ahh Dr. Cuddy to what to I own this pleasure." He said to her.

"Just want to remind you, you owe still own me three clinic hours this week." She gave him a small smile. House grimaced, and walked toward the clinic. He passed a TV in the waiting room that had some daytime show on it. But a breaking news alert came across the screen. He gave it a glance as he passed. Something about a bank robbery in progress and the criminal was holding the people inside hostage. He didn't give it a second though except in the back of his head he heard Cuddy's voice saying, "He's going to be late, he had to stop at the bank. He Had to stop at the bank… Bank… Bank"


	2. Breaking the News

**Sigh I do not own House M.D. but its all good I'll just borrow their characters to play with for now. I promise to put them back when I'm done. Also forgive me because I'm still relatively new watching the show so I've read some of the past episodes but I'm still not good with all that stuff. Please let me know if things are not correct. Also while I may be around a lot of premed major people I myself am not a med major so if I get that wrong too I apologize. As always I'm on my knees begging for reviews of any kind.**

** Arendi **

10:30 am. Dr. Cameron was on her way back from the labs, when a woman stopped her. "Excuse me I'm looking for Dr. Wilson, my mother had an appointment with him, to check her blood work and see if she's still in remission, at nine thirty and that was an hour ago. He hasn't been in to see us and normally he's very prompt."

"I'm sorry I haven't seen him all morning. I'll go see if he's down stairs." Cameron walked down to see if Wilson was in House's office. Neither man was in there so she went to see the nurses. "Hey Judy you haven't seen Dr. Wilson have you?"

"No sorry Dr. Cameron. There's a traffic jam about a mile from here though. Some bank robbery. People have been coming in late all morning. Maybe he got stuck in the traffic." Cameron nodded and went back to tell the women. She saw House walking toward her.

"Cameron just the girl I was looking for. Apparently there was some robbery at the bank down the street and they want to bring the victim's here. To make a long story short they need a few good doctors to help out in the clinic."

"Aren't_ you _supposed to owe Cuddy some clinic hours?"

"Yeah, but you can handle the patients better. Come on I'll give you the annoying ones." She got down there just as the paramedics were bringing in the two victims. House was a few steps behind her.

"OK," call out the trauma doctor, "we have one male thirty five, one shot to the lower left chest, no exit wound. And one shot that grazed the shoulder. We need a chest tube and blood fast." She could tell from far that the male brought in was doing poorly. The paramedics had told them he crashed enroot and they were having a lot of trouble getting him stable. "One female aged twelve to eighteen. One shot to the right side, exit wound directly behind." Cameron was pushed towards the girl, as House went off to look over a broken arm. She was in better shape but still looked bad. Then Cameron looked over to the male victim, and looked at the doctor in horror when realization came over her. Both of the other doctors looked shocked too, he was one of their own.

"Oh God, Dr. Wilson," Cameron called out. She looked as if she was to be sick, but she snapped out of it when the teenage girl started crashing. They started shocking her. "We've got a pulse, at 60 beats per min," someone said, the others nodded. She broke out of the commotion as the trauma team started getting the girl prepped for surgery, while the other doctors were working on stabilizing Dr. Wilson. She walked off to find House, she knew she would have to be the one who told him. As Cameron was walking back Cuddy got a call from one of the surgeons. "Dr. Cuddy, I don't know how to tell you this but one of the shooting victims… It's Dr. Wilson." Cuddy dropped the phone in shock. When she was able to regain control over her shaking she went down to the clinic to find House. She found him in the coffee room with Cameron looking like he didn't know weather to break down and cry or to punch the wall.

"I take it you just found out. I tried calling his wife but she left just an hour ago to go out of town." Cuddy said with a shaken breath. They both nodded. House tried to stand up but fell back on the chair as Cameron tired to help him. He pushed her away and popped a Vicoden as they all stared at the floor in silence.

"I saw him," Cameron said, "I saw him when they brought him in I was down there. He looked…" she choked, and a tear fell, "he looked really terrible," she finished off in a whisper.

"I'm going to talk with the surgeon and see what's going on," Cuddy said breaking the silence trying to maintain composer. She like Wilson, probably more than any other doctor's she had ever worked with. He was very smart, but also polite, and a gentlemen. His manners around patients were impeccable, and dealing with cancer patients was not an easy task. In any given week you could loose at least one. She knew he would cry sometimes, after one of his longtime patients passed on. He became close to them, almost like a friend. Wilson was always a friend but now she realized she really had feeling for him.

She found the surgeon just as he was getting ready to scrub in. "How does it look?" She asked he turned to her with a grave face.

"The bullet is in his heart, if we leave it there he will die for sure. But this is not an easy operation and he's barely stable to begin with. I fear that the chance he'll survive… is less than fifty percent." Cuddy could hardly fight the stinging in her eyes as the surgeon told her this. There was some commotion in the operating room and one of the nurses ran out.

"Sir, we need you in here now." Cuddy backed up her eyes wide and tears now falling freely down her cheeks. Finally her back hit the wall and she had no where else to go so she sank to the floor. She was normally a very strong woman, but could not hold the fear and sorrow in her anymore. Wilson had to live, if nothing else because she wanted to make him happy. She wasn't sure how long it had been since she had taken up residence on sitting on the floor out side the OR. She finally looked up when a hand touched her shoulder. It was Chase.

"Hey, how are you," he said helping her up with a look of concern. She just nodded. "Forman and I just heard the news. Cameron said you went to talk to the Surgeon on Wilson's condition. Will he be okay?" Cuddy just gave Chase a look that told him everything. "How bad is it?"

"It's a less than fifty percent chance on weather he makes it or not in surgery. He lost a lot of blood before getting here and the bullet found its final resting place in the left atrium of his heart. This is after tearing up that side of his lung as well. It's very possible he could bleed out." Chase just looked shocked but kept clam. He took Cuddy back to the lounge where Cameron, House, and now Forman were. Cameron was sitting on the couch with a tissue, House hadn't changed at all, Cuddy didn't think he had even moved an inch since she'd left, and Forman was pacing back and forth. Chase mumbled that he was going to get some coffee, and Forman agreed to go with him. Cameron looked up and gave a questioning look to Dr. Cuddy.

"What's the news?" Cuddy sighed; she didn't want to explain it again. Telling it to Chase had already made it seem real. She looked up hoping no one; especially not House would see the gleam in her eyes. But as soon as Cameron asked he seemed to snap out of his trance and looked at her intently.

"Well..." she answered trying to maintain a professional attitude, hoping her voice wouldn't betray her. "It's not good…" It was shaky too shaky she knew House could hear the fear behind her voice all to well. He also knew that the not good meant something was horribly wrong.

"The bullet wound was in his chest, but there was no exit wound, did they find the bullet?" Cameron asked and Cuddy nodded, "Where," Cameron asked fearfully knowing she didn't want to know the answer. Cuddy broke down and told them exactly what she had told Chase. As soon as she was done House stood up and walked out. She went to the door and watched him limp down the hall stabbing his cane into the ground as he went. She hoped to God he wouldn't do something stupid, and went to go after him while Cameron held him back. "Let him go. He's not taking this well at all. As if any of us are." She managed a small smile. "Wilson's such a good person; it's hard not to like him. He's been a good friend and mentor to Chase, Forman and I. But House, House would have no one to love him if it wasn't for Wilson. He's all House has." Cuddy nodded. She somehow wondered in amazement how the two men who seemed so different at first glance got along. But they were inseparable, and Wilson put his job in the line for House almost everyday. They just went together like sand on a beach you just could not have one with out the other. House loves Wilson and Wilson loves House in everyway friends could love each other.

"While House may love Wilson," Cuddy said quietly, "So do I." Cameron stared at her as if she had just grown another head. It was a confession she never thought she's hear for Cuddy. Forman and Chase came back in and gave Cameron and Cuddy both a cup of coffee.

"There's quite a few news and media cameras out there. They heard the robbery victims were taken here and want to talk to them," Chase said trying to lighten the mood when no one responded he continued. "They keep saying Wilson's a hero. He tried to save the other girl who had been shot. Also I found out the girl, who was shot, her name's Alia Lezel, sixteen years old, and she just made it out of surgery, she had some damage to her kidney but she pulled though." They just nodded. It had been a while and the surgeon had come in to the lounge. Cameron went to find house. She went to his office, Wilson's office, but he wasn't there, finally one of the nurses pointed towards the bathroom. She opened the door making sure there were no other men in there and knocked on all the doors before finding House in the last stall. His head was in his hands and tear streaks made there way down his face.

"The surgeon's back," Cameron told him gently, while placing a warm hand on his back. She had never seen him look helpless and quite frankly it scared her. He didn't say anything as Cameron helped him up and back to the lounge where the surgeon was waiting to break the news.


	3. Promises and New Friends

The Surgeon hovered around for a moment while everyone sat down. "Well…" the surgeon said. "He managed to pull though the surgery." A collective sigh was heard as everyone released the breath that they had been holding. "But there is some bad news. We almost lost him on the operating table, he was gone for about four minute and I'm sure I don't have to tell you all that anything over three can result in brain damage, and he did fall into a coma. We won't know the exact extent of it until he wakes up, if he does. However there is a good chance it may not be permanent. You can go see him in recovery" The five of them walked down to recovery to see Wilson. House grimaced at the sight of his friend. It didn't look like Wilson he told him self. The man on that bed was too pale and week to be his friend, also Wilson's bright brown eyes were not there to greet him. House could not stand to see so many tubes keeping him alive, the slow beep of the heart monitor and the whoosh of the ventilator pumping much needed oxygen directly in to Wilson's lungs brought him back to reality. This was his friend, and he was still alive. House hung back until everyone was through holding Wilson's hand and giving words of encouragement. Final after everyone had left and House cursed the fact Cuddy took a long time talking to Wilson. House sat down in the chair next to his bed, and took Wilson's limp, cold hand in both of his.

"Okay James, It's hard for me to say this," he hesitated and fought back the stinging tears threatening to fall from his eyes. "Maybe I'm not, but you are all I have left. Look I'll make an agreement with you, you wake up form this, I promise from the bottom of my miserable heart that I will attempt look into other alternative to Vicodin for the pain." Wilson didn't stir. "Alright I'll do more than attempt; I _will_ look into other alternatives. But I wont guarantee anything" House saw the Wilson's heart rate had picked up. "I see we have an understanding." House smiled a little, then finally let go. "Oh God James, what were you thinking. You should have just stayed down with the other people. Why must you always think of others first?" House stayed the night with Wilson, the doctor's came in periodically to do checks but there was still no change in his condition.

Cuddy found House the next morning asleep in the chair next with Wilson with his hand still clasped in House's hand. "You should go home and get cleaned up. Don't worry about working on Monday. I'm giving you the week off. Please take it." She said to him. House looked at Wilson and shook his head.

"I should be here, incase he wakes up."

"I can stay here if you like."

"Yeah, you're probably right." House felt like taking a hot shower anyway. "I should probably stop on my way and check on Wilson's dog too. You know make sure he's got food and water." Cuddy was worried. House wasn't being sarcastic anymore, in fact she had just heard with her own ears, Greg House taking into account someone else's needs other than his own. She could not imagine how this could be destroying him. It was hurting her so much because she loves Wilson, but House loves Wilson more than anyone.

"Oy, Wilson…James," She said quietly, "I wish it had not taken me this long to see how much I really care for you. I promise you, that if...when...whenyou wake up I will tell you exactly how I feel, and possibly consider letting House off some clinic duty. That way you'll hear less whining when you come back to work." There was a knock on the door and a teenage girl in a wheel chair holding a small brown stuffed bear came in with a woman behind her.

"I'm Mrs. Lezel and this is my daughter Alia," the woman said. "My daughter wanted to meet the man who tried to help her. When we heard he was here she begged to come visit."

"This is for him," she said holding the bear up, "my Mom though it would be nice to give a thank you present. You know the man who helped me can you tell me his name."

"His name is James Wilson," Cuddy replied, "Dr. James Wilson, he's an oncologist who works in this hospital." The teenage girl looked in awe and motioned for her to bring her closer, and noticed the different machines.

"I want to be a doctor some day as well," Alia told Cuddy, "I always though they were so brave. Now I know they really and truly are.Cuddy couldn't help but smile at the girl's sincerity.

"The criminal thatshot him must have done quite a bit more damage to him than to me. How could you just shoot someone like that?" She sighed. Alia then stood up slowly her face contorted in pain from her recent injury, and walked over to Wilson's bed dragging her IV bags behind her. She took Wilson's hand and brought it to her face "James Wilson, you are my angel, and now I will pray for your recovery. Please, if for nothing else get better so I can invite you to my family's picnic as a token of my thanks." With her strength failing Alia had to sit back down in the wheel chair so she could be taken back to her room. "Please let me know when he wakes up." Alia said on the way out, "I'm in room 231." Cuddy just watched as the girl fell asleep in the wheel chair on the way back to her room. House came back in looking a bit cleaner, at least he had a change of clothing.

"Who was that?" he asked as.

"That was Alia, the girl Wilson was trying to help at the bank."

"I don't like her," House said shortly, "how can I believe that her life is worth that of Wilson's, a doctor who could save more lives just doing his job than he ever could trying to be a hero. If it wasn't for her Wilson would probably be home right now maybe out on a run or reading a news paper in front of the TV. Certainly not laying in hospital bed clinging to life." House sat down, he needed something to be angry at and the girl seemed the easiest scapegoat. But Cuddy just looked at him.

"Look House, Wilson obviously though her life was worth saving. How can you judge his decision, knowing Wilson if he hadn't helped that girl, he probably would have never been able to live with himself. It's not the girl's fault, blame the bank robber who shot him, blame him for not letting the paramedics get to Wilson until he was almost dead, but House,do not blame Alia." House got upset and walked off. He found himself in front of room 231, and decided to see what was so special about the girl Wilson was so willing to give his life for. He walked in and saw a copper haired girl asleep in the bed. He went over and looked at her charts. One gun shot wound to the torso, grazed the kidney, went into surgery to repair, and expected to make a full recovery. She was on morphine for the pain and other drugs to help her heal. He then looked at her medical history, broken foot, torn ligaments in both knees, pulled muscles, and stitches in her arm. As he was reading her mother walked in.

"Are you her new doctor?" The mother asked.

"No I'mDr. House, I'm just making rounds to see different patients," he lied He looked curiously back at her medical history chart. "She hashad a lot of musculoskeletal injuries," he said trying to sound causal.

"She's a figure skater. It was her dream to go to the Olympics; she also takes ballet so to improve her skating. It's a rough sport. That's why she was at the bank that day. I told her to take out some money to buy new point shoes. She's starting to love ballet more than skating." House nodded. "You're not making rounds are you?" The mother asked gently.

"No, I'm not."

"Then why are you here?"

"Dr. Wilson's my best friend, I just wanted to get to know the girl that he put his life on the line for. I'm sorry I've been blaming your daughter for his injuries and I know its not her fault." Then thegirls mother did something he did not expect, she pulled him into a strong embrace.

"Your friend is my hero. My Alia is all I have left after my son and husband were killed last year in a car crash. I don't know what I would have done without her." House found himself returning the hug. "You must be strong, I have a feeling things will get better."

House returned to Wilson's to room to find Cuddy hanging another bag of IV fluid to the numerous number that were still there. "He's started developing a low grade fever; we're just taking precaution so the infection doesn't get worse. I'm going to head out for the night. Also don't tell the doctor the Alia was here, you know as well as I in the ICU he's not suppose to get visitors but I arranged for her to come in." House smiled a little.

"You're breaking the rules, I see I'm started to rub off on you." Cuddy returned his smile.

"Yes, just a little." House sat down next to Wilson and took his hand again. House could have sworn he saw a ghost of a shadow cross Wilson's face.

"Just so you know you're indirectly changing all of us just a little. I'll get you back for this someday." He laughed lightly, but then his face fell, "you just have to wake up now."


	4. Good News

**Please Please Please review I'm on my knees.I know it's not the best story here but still it's not that bad is it? Arendi**

House spent the night in Wilson's room again. In the morning Forman came in to visit, they talked for a bit. More like Forman talking and House just grunting a response. Around noon Cameron came in.

"Hey," she said softly, "I brought you something to eat." She set the sandwich and coffee on the table by him. He looked away from the TV at her.

"Thanks," he said to her. She smiled.

"How's Wilson, Forman told me his stats were getting stronger, and the fever's gone." She watched him open his sandwich and look at it. "Don't worry, it's Ruben, just how you like it." Subconsciously she went looked though Wilson's charts.

"He's looking better," House said, between bites of his sandwich,"the color has returned to his face." Cameron looked at his face and didn't see much of a change. But she knew House could tell better than she could. She sat down and took Wilson's hand and rubbed it.

"It's hard to believe that just three days ago he was walking around perfectly fine. It's amazing how fast things can change." The she moved over to House. "How are you holding up?"

"Me, oh you know me I'm fine," he hesitated. "I'm just holding on." Cameron put her hand on his back and rubbed it. "You know I got into a fight with Thursday before he left. I he had said that I was becoming noticeably cockier, basically the same thing you had yelled at me earlier for. But I couldn't yell at you so I just let it go on Wilson. I always just let it go on him. It's because he's not afraid, like everyone else, to tell me when I'm being a miserable bastard. I was frustrated, so I yelled back, I told him he was a fool. I told him he was the only person who could just under my skin and piss me off like no one else. And then…" House choked, "then I told him if being friends with him meant being interrogated everyday then maybe it's not worth it anymore. I didn't mean it though. But he look he gave just was this look of pure hurt. As if I had just ripped his heart out. I went to his office the next day to apologies to tell him I didn't mean it, but I never got the chance." Cameron gave House a tissue, and put her arms around him.

"House he knows. He knows that you did not mean what you said. You been friends with him for over ten years he knows you better than you think." The nurse on duty came in to changes Wilson's bandages, but House told her he's get it. It was the first time House had actually looked at Wilson's incision. It was black and stretched from his sternum to just below his rib cage. The yellow from the iodine was still around the wound. House flinched as he looked at it. Cameron helped as House placed the gauze over the incision. While he was putting the last piece into place he felt a hand brush his arm. At first he looked at Cameron but she was three steps away with her back was turned to him. Then he looked down to see Wilson's hand make its way into his. "Come on," House encouraged him, "just looked at me James." His head moved from side to side as Wilson's struggled to open his eyes. Finally his brown eyes meet House's blue. Wilson's brow furrowed as his hand move to feel the intubation tube taped to the side of his mouth. With his eyes he asked House to pull it out. House nodded and went to find the doctor on the floor so that Wilson could get a nose clip. While he was gone Cameron went up to Wilson.

"Good to see you awake," she said with a smile, "we've all be worried about you." He nodded slightly and winced. "Are you in a lot of pain, since you can't talk right now blink once for no, and two for yes." He blinked twice. She nodded, "I'll go tell House to get you some more meds." House walked back in, with a nose clip and an extra bag of morphine.

"Okay you know the drill, exhale as I pull out. On three One… Two… Three." House pulled the tube out and Wilson started coughing making his incision hurt more, forcing him the lay back down. House looked pained as his friend's face contorted in agony. He then hung the morphine up put the clip in his Wilson's nose, and got him some water and held the straw to his mouth as he drank.

"Thank you," Wilson wheezed out softly as his eye shut slowly. House gripped Wilson's hand gently as Wilson's griped his. "Greg," he yawned, "I'm sorry for getting angry at you, and I forgive you for yelling back. I know you didn't mean what you said."

"Why you, you heard the whole thing didn't you," House said surprised. Wilson just smiled at him, eyes still closed. House just smiled back as his friend fell asleep.

Cuddy came in the next morning bring a change of clothing for House. "How's he doing? Cameron called me last night and told me our sleeping beauty was awake." House nodded. Cuddy smiled, and held Wilson's hand and watched his brown eyes open slowly. "Hey there," she said. Wilson smiled at her.

"Hey, have you come to scold me for scaring everyone. I though Dr. Cameron was going to loose it on me." He laughed and then sifted uncomfortably, Cuddy saw as he clicked his morphine clicker. "It hurts to laugh," he said almost embarrassed. She nodded.

"Are you in a lot of pain," she asked concerned.

"No House has been making sure I'm reasonably comfortable. Well at least as comfortable as someone who's been shot in the chest and then had it cracked open to repair the damage." He glanced down at his chest where the top portion of his stitches could be seen. "But the CATscans and MRI came back normal. I should recover."

"That's the best news I've heard all day."

"Where'd House go?"

"I he's changing his clothing. He's been here for two days straight, he would have been here all three days you were unconscious, but he went home to change and feed you dog. Yeah I know he actually though about it. House was scaring us for a while, I don't think I've ever seen him so depressed or look so helpless." Wilson smiled sadly. "You mean more to him than anyone else in this world" She pulled her hand away from Wilson's to leave, but he held on to it.

"Lisa stay, can you just stay with me until the move me out of the ICU into general room." She sat down beside him and stroked his hand as his eyes closed. Then she moved some hair out of his eyes and kissed him on the forehead. He smiled.

After moving into his new room and making House go find him something edible, Wilson sat alone for the first time. It surprised him how serious House was being. He then though about Julie, he she came to visit him at all while he was here. Probably not, she didn't love him anymore, but he didn't love her anymore either. He remembered how good the kiss from Cuddy felt even if it was just on his forehead. She was so beautiful, he though, smart, and strong. His mind started getting foggy from the meds, he was trying to use less morphine but every now and then the pain got unbearable. His chest was black and blue and swelling just a bit from where they broke though the cartilage. He knew the scar would be there forever.

"Maybe you can get a snake tattooed over it," House said standing in the doorway, "you know it would cover it up and then you'd still be able to get girls, maybe even girls who though you were too stiff before. You could become a bad ass and maybe even buy a motorcycle. I can see the nurses now 'Oh look at that Dr. Wilson he's got a huge tattoo of a dangerous snake. Ooh I love his bad boy attitude. Oh Dr. Wilson take me for a ride on your sexy motorcycle. You're such a rebel.' They wouldn't have to know that you're an insufferable neat freak." They both laughed but then Wilson had to stop and gritted his teeth. House looked concerned, "you shouldn't be afraid to use the morphine, it is there for you to use when you're in pain."

"Yeah, but I used quite a bit earlier today when Cuddy made me laugh. Right now I can honestly say it's not the best medicine." House then saw frustration in Wilson's eyes. "I can't laugh, I still can't sit up for a long period of time; I can't get out of bed. I feel useless. The only thing I can do is breath and even that is painful, and I still can't do that completely on my own either." House sat down next to him and placed his hand on his.

"James, looked at me, you will get better. I'd rather have you here now laughing with me, than unresponsive or worse… six feet under. I don't think you understand how close you were to dying. They almost timed your death at 2:42 pm on Friday, finally the doctor gave you one more shock, ONE and by some miracle you lived. I've never though God ever listen to me before, but now I see that maybe just maybe he does, because for the first time in my life I prayed for someone other than myself, I prayed you would live, and you didn't let me down. You're past the hard part now, and I'm here, and so is everyone else, Cuddy, Cameron, Forman, even Chase. You've beaten all the odd already so just give it sometime and things will get better. You should get some sleep, tomorrow they're going to try getting you walking again." Wilson quite fighting the sleep that was taking over and closed his eyes.

* * *

**Thank you to my wonderful reviews I only wish I could get some more.**

**PersonalEyez909-- I look forward to your story hopefully you'll write it...please. Good luck.**

**Hobbit-Luvr- I love Wilson too. hehe. and yes he does need a big hug.(goes over and hugs him.. Wilson: "Hey who is this weird girl giving me a hug" Everone else points at laughed cause there's a weird girl hugging him)I'l try working on some of my grammer**

**abbieg-- House and Cuddy would be a good pair but I think Cameron/House is better. But I love any Wilson/Cuddy pairs so hopefully you'll like this pairing just as much.**

**IFsci-fi-- Thank you for likeing my story hopefully it will be good.**


	5. Just a little Crush

**Yay I've got one fan. But more would be nice. please. **

House had left Wilson to sleep at his place for the night. He was still afraid his friend would slip away but Wilson insisted. It was about 7:30 am and a knock was heard on his door. He thought it was just the pretty nurse again taking his temperature, so he didn't move, however the girl who came it was not a nurse. It took Wilson a moment to recognize her as the girl from the bank. He had almost forgotten all about her, but now he was glad to see her alive. "Hello, how are you," he said to her. She smiled. She was a pretty girl, copper hair, and peridot green eyes, she was walking but her IV bags were dragging behind her.

" Dr. Wilson, your friend Lisa told me they moved you here. I'm up stairs in pediatrics. I'm Alia Lezel," she said shyly. "I'm doing better. I get to go home tomorrow, but it'll be a month before I can skate or dance again. I just came because I wanted to thank you for helping me." She was still standing, but her eyes were adverted down.

"You can call me James if you want, and you don't have to stand you can sit down," he tried bringing the bed up as far as he could stand to sit up but it wasn't more then about twenty degrees. "So, you skate… like rollerblading?" he asked trying to make conversation. She giggled

"No, I'm a figure skater. I got a scholarship to Rutgers. But I want to go to University of Chicago. I want to become a doctor, mostly a pediatrician, but I think what you do sounds good too. I want to help people; I mean doctors get to save lives every day. If I could save just one life I would feel the greatest sense of accomplishment."

"Sometimes it's not always easy, oncology is hard because most of the time you can't save your patients you can only prolong their life," he said with a sigh. "When do you graduate high school?"

"I've been home schooled with tutors because of my skating. I'm planning on leaving for school in the fall but I may wait. I mean I'm only sixteen now so I may put it off for a year; my mom has to talk to my tutors. Also my skating coach wants me to wait cause he thinks I've got a shot at nationals, and if I do well there possible the Olympics." Wilson looked impressed.

"Have a lot of your friends come to visit you while you've been here?"

"Actually, I don't really have any friends. I guess I'm friends with the girls in my ballet class but most of them think I'm spoiled. But my mom's been here, and my grandma and aunt. Also my coach came a couple times; he brought me a dozen roses." They sat for a while more. "So you do you want to see my stitches, the look kinda cool?" She asked out of no where, he laughed. She lifted up the bottom of her shirt and showed a decent three inch incision on her left side just under her rib cage. "I developed an infection the day after the surgry, but I've been getting better. Can I see yours?" Wilson moved the sheets away from his chest and untied the gown front. "Oh…" she sputtered.

"It's good to see you're that everything worked out well," his mind flashed back to the image of her lying helpless on the floor of the bank. "I wish I could have done more to help you."

"You did everything you could. And I'm glad to see you are better. Your friends were very worried about you, and I prayed you'd get better." They talked for a while longer. Wilson seemed to enjoy the girl's company. She was lively and friendly, the exact opposite of House. Around 8 am House came in.

"Hey guess whose helping you walk today," he said. Wilson rolled his eyes.

"I should go," Alia said.

"You can walk with me if you'd like," Wilson said while gritting his teeth and sitting up, "besides with two of you hopefully someone can cushion my fall." With help from House Wilson was finally able to sit up and swing his legs to the side of the bed. Despite the pain in his own leg House helped Wilson pushed off the bed. "Are you alright?" Wilson asked him.

"Yeah" Wilson held on to his IV stand as he took his first tentative step. His steps got more confident as the trio moved out into the hallway. The walked up and down the hall a couple times before Wilson saw Cuddy walking out of the elevator.

"It's good to see you up and about James," she said to him.

"Yeah I'm going to try some stairs in a minute as soon as the nurse gets done so she can carry my IV bags.

"Here I can help." House gave her a funny look. He saw the look that she was giving Wilson, he knew that look. It was the same look of admiration, and affection that Cameron gave to him. What surprised him even more was Wilson was returning the look back to her. They were about to walk down the stairs when a familiar face caught Wilson's attention.

"Julie?" He asked she came over to him.

"Oh God James I just got back in town and heard what happened. Apparently one of you coworkers called my boss and he just gave me the message. It's good to see you're alright, the massage I got said may not last the night." She breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a hug but the tension could be seen between the two to of them. While both of them respected and loved each other, they weren't in love. It was more like the love between a couple of good, but not best, friends. Basically the sex was good for a while but the passion wore off. Cuddy senesced this as well, but started to back off.

"I should get going," she said.

"No wait," Wilson said with a hidden mischievous smile only she could see, "You're supposed to be helping me down the stairs." She gave him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry Wilson, I've got to go finish up some papers." She walked off and Wilson stared longingly at her retreating form. He started feeling fatigued and his body started protesting being vertical and his body started to waver. Before he could blink his legs gave way under him and he fell. He cried out in agony and while all of the nurses tried to help him up, even with the pain killers in his system he blackout out from the pain.

He woke up and felt like there was a load of bricks on his chest. "Easy now," House said, "When you fell you popped a couple of your sutchers. Though if you want to scream again I don't think China heard you," he said rubbing his ears. Then he smiled, "They gave you some more meds so don't worry you wont feel much for a while." Wilson then looked to his right and saw Julie sitting next to him looked concerned. He half wished she would just leave. But after all Julie was his wife and he did love her, there was just no passion left there.

"James," she said hesitantly, "I know this isn't the best time to talk about this, but one of the reasons I went out of town was to do some thinking. I really do love you but I just don't feel close enough to you..."

"I want to get a divorce," Wilson said quickly.

"You do? Oh good. I was thinking, you can have the house and dog, but I get the beach condo and the boat."

"I hate that boat, yeah that sounds good." It was what he was thinking anyway. "Then you can just take your car, I'll take mine, and I'll throw in the china." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm going to go pack. It really is good to see you are alright. I would have been devastated if anything happened to you." Now most people would have been appalled at the fact that their wife was divorcing them while they were incapacitated in the hospital but Wilson was actually relived. Also it went really smoothly, but they didn't have kids to fight over and Wilson didn't care for much of the stuff she wanted anyway. He got that dog and his house that was all, that mattered. She was the only one who spent time at the beach place anyway even though it was only twenty minutes away. She bought it to spend time away from him. House came back in.

"Where'd your wife go?"

"She went home to pack, she's moving out. We're going to get a divorce."

"That's good news, I think Dr. Cuddy will be most happy to know." Wilson looked up at him surprised. "James first of all I've know you forever, and second of all I'm a diagnostician, I can see things most people would over look. Don't think I can't see the way you two look at each other. Back on the stairs before the princess came in, I though I was going to have to pull the two of you off each other. Also you should have seen her run over to you when you screamed; she acted like the world was going to end. She got almost all the doctors in the area to help get you back to bed, and personally fixed your popped stitches. It's hard enough with you two teaming up on me occasionally, what am I going to do when you always take her side over mine?"

"You know you're always going to be the person I'm closest too. I mean I've had three wives, not one of them meant as much to me as your friends ship does." For once House didn't have a come back to say to him. He just smiled and gripped his friend's hand. "Besides, when Lisa kicks me out where else would I go without you?" A knock on the door brought Alia in.

"Hello James," she said turning slightly pink in the ears, "I get to go home today, but I came by to make sure you were doing okay. I don't think I've ever heard a guy yell as loud as you did, and one of my coaches when I was younger snapped his Achilles tendon teaching me a triple lutz. He scream really load. Also I wanted to give you think. I'm turning seventeen next month in June, and I was hoping if you are better by then you can come by. It's really only going to be my mom, grandma, aunt, coach, and a couple girls from my ballet class but I would mean a lot if you came." He looked at the invitation, it was at her house.

"Hmm," House said, "looks like you've got two new girls friends."

"Greg, she's sixteen."

"Yeah, just one more year and she's legal, come on look at that tight ass. And those legs, they go on for days." Wilson's rolled his eyes at his friend.

"And technically we're old enough to be her father."

"Yeah, but the way she blushes every time she sees you, can you be so blind, she's got a crush on you. And come on who could resist a guy with huge long scar down his chest. Oh yeah your just my type."

"She's just admires me because I'm a doctor and I tried to save her life. Also she doesn't have very many friends, so I offered to be her friend." House just laughed. "I feel like going for a walk." So House helped Wilson up and they walked to House's unit.

"Hey look your up again," Cameron said, "we were worried you wouldn't want to try walking again for a while." It turned out everyone in the hospital had heard about the fall. Wilson was slightly embarrassed, but he got hugs from Cameron, Forman, and even Chase, along with all the nurses. Finally Wilson made his way to Cuddy's office.

"It's good to see you're walking again," she said not looking up. Wilson walked over to her lifted her chin and kissed her.


	6. Homecomming

**Sorry for the short chapter. I haven't had to much time to write lately, but this won't leave me alone so all my free time is going in to it. To all those people who are review I just want to tell you... you are the most awsome people on this planet thank you soo much. Cheers to you. Anyway please enjoy, it's one of the more fluffy chapters. **

**Arendi**

Wilson spent the rest of the week resting in the Hospital. On Saturday morning House came in with a pair of jeans and a tee shirt. "This way you can look semi human when you go out. I can't believe they only gave you Tylenol and codeine for the pain." Wilson just gave him a look.

"Well they've been weaning me off the stronger stuff, I should be ok." He winced slightly as he put the shirt on. "Besides it doesn't hurt as much as it did a couple days ago." All he wanted to do at that point was to get out of the hospital, and sleep in a real bed. Wilson grabbed his pants off the bed and was putting them on when Cuddy walked in.

"Oh Sorry!" she yelled turning around, but she couldn't help glancing slightly at him

"Don't worry about it. When you've been cut open and had your insides exposed suddenly having people see the outside doesn't matter so much. Besides I'm all done now anyway," he replied with a lopsided smile, she laughed.

"I though you might want help getting settled into back home, but it looked like Greg has you covered."

"Hey the more the merrier," House said, "I was going to take him out to lunch do you want to invite your self along."

"Greg," Wilson said irritated. "She's only trying to help." Then he turned to Cuddy, "I really do appreciate you coming."

"I'll tell you what," She said, "I'll let you and House go to lunch, but I'll bring dinner by later… for both of you. How does middle eastern sound."

"Oh great," House said, "just what I need a night in the bathroom."

"Fine, Sushi?"

"That sounds great," Wilson said, "I'll see you tonight." He put his arm around her waist, and turned her toward him. He hesitated for a moment like he wanted to kiss her again, but then gave her a hug and whispered in her ear. "I really am glad you came by. I missed you all week." She blushed a bit and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"It's good to see you're well again. I'll see you both tonight. And House, try to be on good behavior, remember I am trying to be nice to you." She walked out.

"Why are you giving her a hard time," Wilson asked House, "She being nice and I happen to really be glad about it."

"I don't think you know what you are getting your self into. She's insufferable. Besides I though you were done with annoying women now that Julie's gone."

"Lisa has saved your ass on a number of occasions I can remember on in particular that cost many of us a whole hell of a lot of money. She respects and puts up with you which is more than you can say about half the people here. And you know what I happen to like her."

"Well just remember I warned you, that the pretty tiger has teeth."

"Yes, she quite pretty, but so was Julie. It's more than that Greg, I don't think you understand," then he looked at his friend, "maybe you do, you know exactly how I feel."

"Yeah but Cameron's not my boss, Cuddy is. Also she's doesn't pack the irritating bit. Okay maybe I respect Cuddy, but it doesn't mean I have to approve of her dating you."

"No offence, but you never approved of any of my wives or girl friends."

"And I don't have to; it's your life if you want to fuck it up that's fine with me. I'll just keep a bottle of beer and the sofa dusted off for you." Wilson grinned at him, House just raised his eyebrow. "Well shall we go to lunch and then get you home? You look like your going to fall over anyway."

Later that night Cuddy went over to Wilson's place with Sushi and a movie. "I though you guys might be bored so I brought a movie," she told them.

"No of course not, who could get bored of watching girl's showing their boobs," House replied back. Cuddy looked speechless for a moment.

"We were just watching Jeopardy," Wilson said throwing an evil look towards House. "Sit down wherever," Wilson was taking up the couch lying down, and House was in the recliner so she took a spot of the loveseat. She had never been in Wilson's house before but everything looked so neat and put together, kind of like him. Most of his wife's things were gone so the shelves were looking bare but what was left just screamed Wilson to her. It was warm and inviting. A chocolate lab came up to her and put his head in her lap. "Oh don't mind Max, he's friendly. He just wants to play; he's missed me and doesn't understand why I can't play rough with him." At first she was hesitant, but then she got in the floor and started petting and rubbing his stomach. "So what movie did you bring," Wilson said interrupting Cuddy's play with the dog.

"Oh… its Anchorman the guy at the rental place said it was supposed to be funny. Actually to be honest there wasn't much choice it's a Saturday night. Also I hope you guys like tuna rolls and California rolls. I also got miso soup and edemame." House just nodded in approval, and the sat down at watched the movie. After the movie was over the dog was begging to be walked.

"I should go take him out." Wilson said trying to get up.

"Are you going to be alright walking him," Cuddy asked.

"Well I think I'll take this as my que to leave," House said getting up and walking out.

"Good night," Wilson said, "thanks for helping me get back together." He reached out and hugged his friend for the first time in over five years. But House hugged him back.

"Don't worry about it,' he said, "just don't let anything happen to your self." They just gave each other a look and all was spoken. "If I don't have anything better to do maybe I'll stop by tomorrow, just to see your ugly face." They smiled at each other.

"Why don't I walk with you," Cuddy said to Wilson after House left, "just to make sure you'll be ok."

"I'd like that." They took the dog around the park near Wilson's house. He had to stop and sit on the bench to catch his breath for a moment. Cuddy sat beside him, and he put his free arm around her. "Thank you for dinner tonight. It was… nice," he said unable to think of a better word at that moment.

"Your welcome, I really enjoyed your company. Normally it's just me and my fish. Or me, my fish, and my sister when she's not busy dating. I just don't have time to date anymore. I work almost twelve hours a day and putting up with House for most of that time just make the job more stressful. I'm always so tired when I get home. But this, this was a really nice evening." She looked up at him and they would have kissed but the dog pulled him away at the last second. They both laughed.

"You know I never really did thank you for getting me my job back."

"It was my pleasure. I would have missed having you around anyway." Then she looked at her watch, "It's getting late. I should be getting back."

"You can just stay at my place for the night. I've got an extra bed in the guest room."

"Not tonight, I've got a lot of work to do tomorrow. Rain check?"

"I'll hold you to it." He finally got a chance to kiss her again. He had been waiting all night to do so. Every time he kissed her it felt more right.


	7. Living On

**I was watching Law and Order when I wrote this chapter. I wanted to say THANK YOU to all the people who have been reviewing my story. You are all super awsome and get an A+ in awsomeness. I'm comtemplating a sequal depending on the response I get. Hope you all enjoy the last chapter. Arendi**

The next day House came over. "I was in the neighborhood so I decided to drop by." He said. "How are you."

"You know you don't have to worry about me, not only have I been taking care of myself for about twenty years now, I happen to be doctor," Wilson replied as he sat back down on the couch were he was resting before. "I heated up some soup over in that pan, and there are some leftover California rolls in the fridge, if you're hungry." House shook his head, and sat down in the recliner.

"Where's the dog?"

"The kid next door's taking him for a walk. I can't walk to far yet. Last night I got winded just walking two blocks, Lisa had to take him for a while too. I'm not strong enough to control him right now." He looked down.

"You're going to be fine, it's just going to take a while to heal you know. The drugs they're giving you are going to mess your system up."

"No really, wow if I wasn't experiencing it first hand I may never have believed you… Sorry I'm not myself today. I get my stitches out on Friday and I can start working again when I feel better. Or at least when I can walk a foot and not have to sit down. Until then I guess I can discover the joy of day time television." House settled back in the recliner while Wilson flipped though the channels. They settled for watching a basketball game, game six of the playoffs, New York against Boston. Wilson started dozing off when someone knocked on the door. "It's probably just my neighbor bring Max back, can you get it," Wilson mumbled to House. He got up and got the door. It was a man and a woman both in nice suites.

"We're looking for a James Wilson," the woman said. House let then in. Wilson looked up from the sofa.

"That's me, what I can do for you?" He asked getting up slowly.

"We're the detectives who are gathering testimony for the prosecutors who are trying the case of Jack Beecher, the man who robbed the bank you were in on Friday May, eleventh. Do you mind if we come in and ask you some questions?"

"No, not at all."

"First we were wondering if you could identify the robber from these pictures." Wilson looked at them and immediately recognized number eight. The detectives nodded, "Yeah, that's him. Second we were wounding what your occupation is?"

"I'm a doctor, I work as an oncologist at Princeton, Plainsboro hospital. My credibility is good."

"Okay, we were just wondering about the shooting of Miss Alia Lezel, there is some confusion about weather she was shot purposefully, and robber first, or weather it was an accident."

"For my point of view she was accidentally shot. She screamed and I don't think the robber expected her to react and the gun seemed to go off." They wrote what he said down vigorously and Wilson glanced at House who was staring daggers at the detectives. He finally got up and went into the kitchen to fix himself something to eat

"Now you tried to help her right?"

"Yes, first I checked for a pulse making sure she was still alive and then I applied pressure to the wound, I couldn't see it very well so I tired removing her shirt to get a better view, that's when the crook noticed what I was doing. I remember pleading with him but the bank teller made the mistake of telling him that the police were alerted. He got frightened. I don't remember much after that, I remember I was on my back, but it was almost like I wasn't in my body. I didn't feel any pain at first, and then it rushed over me and I struggled to stay conscious. I heard a sucking noise ever time I inhaled and then it started to get harder and harder to breath, and then everything went black but I could feel people around me touching me. That's all I remember."

"I'm sorry we had to bring you though all that again. But thank you, for your help. We may possibly use you as a witness in the trial at the very least we will use your testimony. One last request, could we get a picture of your injuries." He gave them a look but agreed. They left and Wilson looked drained. House gave him a look of concern.

"You all right?" He asked, Wilson let out a sigh and hung his head in his hands.

"Yeah, I'll be okay," I just keep getting flash backs, "you know when you told me I didn't know how close to dying I really was. I did know. When my heart stopped I had I guess what's called an outer body experience. I just remember looking at myself laying there, and the doctors all around. It didn't hit me that the man laying was me until I went around and I saw you sitting in the bathroom crying. Seeing you there it hit me, it was me on that table dying and I knew then I had to fight to live. I've just been trying to block out everything pretend like everything was going to be alright. Now this Jack Beecher claims the reason he shot Alia then was I was trying to attack him and he reacted. Also he's pleading not guilty on the account of insanity. I don't know why people just can't take responsibility for their own action."

"James, this isn't your fault. You didn't try to attack the guy, Alia is alive and you helped her. Who cares what some wacko thinks, there are what twelve people who saw him shoot you out of cold blood." Wilson just nodded. Cuddy called that night to wish him a good night and he told her about the trial. She told him that if he needed her she'd always be there to help, she then went over to comfort him.

"I though you could use some ice cream," she said as she walked and handed him a brown bag. Wilson opened it and smiled.

"Cookies and cream! How'd you know that's my favorite?" He asked, she smiled slyly.

"I'm psychic." Wilson gave her a funny looked and she laughed. "Alright I called Cameron who was with House. You know the old high school chain of command. I'll get my friend to ask his friend if he likes me."

"Is it like or like like?" They laughed. "Thanks for stopping by. It's been a rough day and Greg had to leave, but I think that's because I invited you over. It's not that he doesn't like you; he just prefers not to be around you on his day off. Something about dealing with your demanding nature at work was enough. He's just never seen your soft side."

"When's the trial start?"

"September, hopefully by then I will be able to deal with it."

"I think you will," she said sliding her hand into his and holding it close to her. "Besides you won't be alone. I'll be here and House will be too. I'll always be here for you. James Brain Wilson I love you."

"Lisa Katherine Cuddy, I love you too."

One month later Wilson's back at work and getting ready to go to Alia's birthday. Cuddy walks into his office. "You ready to go," she asked, wrapping her arms around him and giving him a kiss, the ring on her hand sparkled as she caressed his face. .

"Yes just let me finish putting the bow in the present."

"What'd you get her?"

"Just what every girls who wants to be a doctor wants, it's a lab coat I had them embroider with Dr. Alia Lezel on it, with her very own stethoscope. I also got her some scrubs. The assistant D.A. called me today. They finally pleaded out. Jack Beecher. He pleaded guilty to attempted murder and is getting fifteen years in prison."

"Are you ok with this?" Wilson smiled his small lopsided grin.

"Yeah I think I am." She nodded. He pulled her into anther kiss."Hey Jimmy, I have some more good news for you." She looked down and grinned with a gleam in her eye. "Well I was thinking of either Nathan if it's a boy or Dawn if it's a girl." Wilson looked questioning at her, then a look of realization came over his face and he pulled on to the couch in his office. "James we're going to be late."

"If it's a boy what about Gregory." She laughed

"I'll consider it. Oh no what's House going to do when we tell him."

"Probably the same thing he did when I told him we were going to get married and ask if he's be my best man."

"Roll his eyes and say not again?"

"Well not that part, but hid a smile and make some sarcastic comment. Besides it's not like he can hid his relationship with Dr. Cameron anymore, she may actually make him human."

"He'll still be the pain in my ass. But if I have to put up with him to have you, it will be worth every moment, because I love you."

"And if I have to hear him make sarcastic comments about our relationship then they'll all be worth it because I love you." Cuddy just pulled him up off the couch.

"Come on we're going to be late." She said as he slid his arm around her and walked out.


End file.
